Starting from Constance and traveling along the Rhine River Valley, the traces of the Swabian War have gradually been erased, and the Habsburg Family territories once occupied by the Swiss have returned to the Emperor's rule.
Laufenburg, Frick Valley, Rheinfelden—this land along the Rhine River was originally the last stronghold of the Habsburg Family in the Central Highlands. After the Habsburg-Laufenburg family, which had broken away from the main branch for over a hundred years, died out without heirs, it was reclaimed by the Leopold branch. Later, after the "Outer Austria Punishment War," it became one of the few territories that avoided being carved up by the Swiss cantons.
Today, this land serves as a narrow corridor between the Alsace-Franche-Comté region and the Habsburg Swiss territories.
At the end of the corridor lies the famous Free City of Basel in the southwest of the Empire, as well as the bishopric surrounding Basel.
Before the Swabian War, Basel had almost stepped halfway into the Swiss Confederation, and even surrounding Solothurn, and the Free City of Mulhouse, which was surrounded by Habsburg Family territory, had established loose alliances with the Swiss cantons.
If Laszlo hadn't reacted promptly and preemptively destroyed the illegal Alliance of the Eight Swiss Cantons, he might have faced a fully-formed Swiss Confederation in a few more years.
Now, these wavering cities have all chosen the correct stance, supporting him, the Emperor, in various imperial affairs.
Previously, when the Imperial Army marched to France, cities like Basel provided considerable material and financial aid, and even sent personnel and horses to ensure the smooth logistical operation of the Imperial Army, which greatly pleased Laszlo.
Utilizing the name of the Imperial Region and the lingering prestige of the Swabian War victory, Laszlo gradually built a new system in the Alps, south of Outer Austria and north of Milan.
In the original history, with the Basel-Constance line as the boundary, the north was the Austria Region and the Swabia Region, while the Central Highlands to the south were completely blank.
This area, like Austria, was not included in the first regional demarcation. Maximilian, during his reforms, treated Switzerland as a private reserve for the Habsburg Family.
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In the subsequent public donation tax reform, he originally intended to force the Swiss cantons into submission by leveraging the Emperor's prestige and Austria's formidable strength. However, he did not expect the Swiss to decisively refuse any imperial obligations—whether legal jurisdiction or paying public donation tax, all were seen as infringements on their freedoms.
Left with no choice, Maximilian had to pick on the easier targets first, so his courtiers extorted the Free City of Basel.
The citizens of Basel were not to be trifled with; they immediately joined the Swiss Confederation, becoming an important piece of the complete Switzerland, which directly ignited the subsequent major war and granted Switzerland de facto independence.
Later, regions were also established in the Habsburg Family territories and Northern Italy, but Switzerland and Milan were not placed into any region due to various complex factors such as politics and war, leaving a huge void on the Empire's map, proclaiming to the world how fragile this vast empire truly was.
However, all of these events that should have happened have undergone tremendous changes due to Laszlo's actions.
Milan was not only incorporated into the Council of Northern Italian States but also became the core stronghold for the Emperor to maintain his rule in Northern Italy.
After the Swiss Confederation was completely destroyed, all other cantons, including the remnants of the Three Forest Cantons Alliance, were also incorporated into the Austria Region. Even those cities, autonomous cantons, and several Imperial Counts who had long been flirting with the Swiss Confederation could not escape Laszlo's grasp.
To put it broadly, these places were all direct imperial territories or lands of direct vassals, just with a higher degree of autonomy;
To put it narrowly, the Habsburg Family had drawn a circle in the southwest of the Empire long ago, claiming the entire Central Highlands for their family's rule.
No matter the excuse, the most fundamental requirement for establishing rule is strong personal power, which is precisely what Laszlo does not lack.
Thus, under the guise of establishing Imperial Regions, Laszlo effortlessly imposed his will upon the southwestern states that had already submitted to him, and they dared not resist.
After all, they were defeated by the Emperor when their power was stronger; now that their alliance has disintegrated, there is even less hope of contending with the Emperor.
Therefore, Laszlo and his representatives could easily exercise power in this land in the name of the Empire, the most important of which was to hold supreme judicial authority and levy regional taxes on the states.
Unlike the higher-level Imperial public donation tax, regional taxes only needed to be approved by a resolution of the Regional Council, and the Austria Regional Council was entirely Laszlo's domain; there were no obstacles to any resolution he wished to pass.
However, Laszlo did not go too far; he merely used his authority to occasionally extort mountaineers, high-ranking clergy, and free cities, thereby securing additional financial revenue for the Austrian government.
Of course, this money was not collected for nothing. Basic regional functions such as maintaining public order, maintaining roads, implementing imperial resolutions, developing the rule of law, and promoting economic growth were all realized through Austria's strength.
These tasks were mainly entrusted to the Governor of Outer Austria. Previously, Matthias had already established the framework of the new order with his blend of firmness and flexibility, even incorporating the Swabian enclaves, and exerted continuous influence over the Swabia Region through the court in Rottweil.
After Christopher took over, he only needed to systematically improve this system, and then Austria could slowly assimilate this land that had captivated the ancestors of the Habsburg Family.
With anticipation, Laszlo arrived in Basel in early July and was warmly welcomed by the city council and citizens.
Although the people of Basel were still not accustomed to the various imperial obligations increasingly imposed upon them in recent years and longed for the past life free from any external pressure or restraint, after the new system was established, the city quickly found its new place and has now become a model of an Imperial Free City and a loyal supporter of the Emperor.
In a manor outside Basel, the
Originally, there were no Imperial Palaces around Basel, or rather, there were almost no Imperial Palaces outside the Austrian border.
Since the decline of imperial power, local forces had encroached upon various palaces and royal territories, and the splendid sight of an imperial lodging every few dozen kilometers within the Empire no longer existed.
Emperors after the Great Interregnum rarely undertook many imperial tours, and so the palaces gradually lost their purpose.
However, in recent years, Imperial Palaces in the southern Empire have begun to show signs of revival. At the request of the Emperor and the Imperial Diet, various regions began to renovate residences along the Emperor's usual tour routes for his use.
Although vastly different from the past where palaces came with large tracts of royal land, and the Emperor now only has restricted usage rights, this can still be seen as a manifestation of increased influence and authority.
In the residence meticulously prepared for Laszlo by the Basel City Council and the Bishop, Laszlo finally met Christopher after several months apart.
After some time, he seemed to have matured a bit; his height hadn't grown much, but there was a subtle change in his demeanor.
What slightly annoyed Laszlo was that although the boy seemed happy to see him, most of his attention was on Mary, who had accompanied him.
The exceptionally young couple hadn't seen each other for almost a year, and their joyful reunion infected those around them.
Laszlo was a little helpless about this, but he didn't take it to heart.
At least the boy knew that Mary would likely bring him a rich and powerful Kingdom of Burgundy, so a loving relationship between them was a good thing.
"Alright, Christopher, you two can talk later tonight. For now, come with me."
Laszlo patted his son's shoulder, motioned for Joanna to settle the other children, and then took Christopher into a quiet room, intending to have a few words with his son.
Though Christopher still wanted to say more to Mary, he almost never disobeyed his father's requests, so he dutifully followed Laszlo's footsteps.
"Your governance in Franche-Comté and Outer Austria over the past few months has been quite good; I've already heard about it from the Count of Neuchâtel," Laszlo said with satisfaction.
Although he had made general arrangements for Christopher before returning to Vienna, it was not easy to truly govern such a territory, which was not vast but complex in its composition.
Fortunately, Christopher was adaptable and maintained stability in both regions very well.
Upon hearing his father's praise, Christopher's heart first rejoiced, but his expression quickly fell.
"Father, I didn't encounter any difficult problems in the past few months, but recently there's been a case that has been troubling me for a long time, and I think I still need your help."
"Oh? Are you talking about the Count of Lichtenberg's matter?"
Laszlo remembered that the last Count of Lichtenberg had died without an heir not long ago, and this land, according to imperial law, should revert to the Crown for re-enfeoffment. He still had some recollection of this matter.
"It is indeed related to that matter. According to your decree and imperial law, the court in Rottweil ultimately rejected the Duke of Württemberg's request to annex the Lichtenberg territory, and it was inherited by Alwig of the Sulz family in Tyrol. Given that the last Count's wife came from the Sulz family, this judgment did not cause much controversy."
"The Sulz family... what is the relationship between this Alwig and John von Sulz, the court judge of the Rottweil court?"
"They are biological brothers, but Count John was not present at this trial; it was presided over by a substitute judge."
Laszlo nodded. No wonder the Duke of Württemberg hadn't complained to him about this; it turned out the judge had proactively recused himself, which greatly pleased Laszlo.
However, Christopher's next words made Laszlo's heart sink.
"The problem that has troubled me for a long time also comes from the Sulz family.
After acquiring the Lichtenberg territory, Alwig withdrew from the family territorial dispute, but John and their youngest brother Rudolf are suing over the division of the family's land.
John claims that in their father's will, both the Sulz County and Klettgau County should be inherited by him, while Rudolf believes he should inherit Klettgau County.
Since neither side can produce decisive documentary evidence, the Rottweil court cannot make a judgment. This dispute has been presented to me, and I am currently considering whether to send it to the Supreme Court in Vienna."
"Klettgau..." Hearing that name, Laszlo suddenly felt a bit lost in thought.
Radbot, the founder of the Habsburg Family, held the title of Count of Klettgau.
To this day, the Habsburg Family, which has occupied half of Switzerland, has bestowed the title of Count of Klettgau as a reward upon subordinate nobles.
But thinking about it, it's not surprising. When the Swiss destroyed the Habsburgs, this castle was not in the hands of the Habsburg Family, but had been sold to the vassal Wahlen family.
Facing the Swiss advance, the Wahlen family promptly handed over their lord's family castle and consequently rapidly declined, now lost to history.
Ever since occupying Austria, the Habsburg Family has grown increasingly disdainful of the poor lands of Outer Austria, and Laszlo is no exception.
Except for Zurich and its surrounding areas, plus the Breisgau territory centered around Freiburg, most other lands were given as rewards to nobles who contributed to Austria's development.
For example, the previous Count of Sulz was enfeoffed with the Klettgau territory for his bravery in the Old Zurich War and endured pressure on the Outer Austrian front for twenty years.
It's just that now that the Swiss Confederation has been defeated, their family is embroiled in a dispute over property.
Among the three brothers, Laszlo only knew the eldest, John. As the master of the Rottweil court, John's fairness and wisdom were praised by the people.
However, when the matter concerns himself, it's probably difficult for him to maintain his original integrity, isn't it?
"Where is the will they mentioned?" Laszlo asked, regaining his composure.
"According to Count John, it was stored in his residence in Rottweil, but that house suffered a fire recently, and the will was burned to ashes in the blaze. Moreover, the enfeoffment documents were also destroyed in that fire."
Laszlo raised an eyebrow. These things sounded too coincidental, not like an accident.
"And the notary of the will?"
"When you broke through Zurich, that notary unfortunately died amidst the chaos of battle."
"Well, it seems this is indeed a cold case."
"How do you plan to handle it?" Christopher looked at his father curiously.
He greatly valued this precious learning opportunity, because he had recently heard that the imperial affairs he would have to deal with in the future would be similarly troublesome. So now, he was eagerly accumulating experience in handling various disputes.
"Emotionally, I would rule in favor of John, because he is closest to me and is also a court judge, whose loyalty is trustworthy. However, generally, the family property of ordinary noble families is divided among the children who do not enter the church, so ultimately Rudolf should inherit Klettgau. If John alone holds two count titles, his power in the west would expand too much. As the ruler of this land, you should learn to maintain balance."
"So, I will make the final judgment like this?"
"Afterward, you can absorb Rudolf as an advisor. In Outer Austria, it's necessary to gain the support of local nobles to maintain rule, and I believe he will pledge his loyalty to you because of this."
"But Count John's side..." Christopher was very worried about this, after all, the Rottweil Court was the highest judicial authority in the southwest of the Empire.
"Don't worry, I have a way to deal with his dissatisfaction, and soon the Swabian territories, including Rottweil, will be separated from Outer Austria. Then your conflicts will gradually disappear as your interactions decrease," Laszlo comforted him.
Christopher immediately looked at his father with gratitude and reverence, nodding vigorously.
He also hoped that one day he could calmly handle all sorts of difficult problems like his father, but for now, let him feel the warmth of paternal love again...